A/N: Wow. Sorry for the long update. Senior Year is busy/fun that I lose track of my hobbies. Enjoy the next chapter. Read and Review!

Chapter 8: Lost Thoughts

"It's been two months since he was brought here."

"Will he ever wake up?"

"I'm not sure. All we can do is wait."

The sound of the voices began to fade as Dustin stood there in total darkness. He could hear the voices but he could not call out. Dustin, trapped in his own dark world, let his thoughts and memories flood back to him. Like a nightmare. Like a dream. Like an uncontrolled movie playing back everything over and over again. He opened his eyes and found himself in complete darkness. There was no warmth. No cold. Empty emotion was all that remained. Moving his head from side to side, he began to fall to his knees as hurtful memories triggered his brain. Thousands of familiar voices began to scream within his ears.

"Heroine. Ever tried it?"

"No matter what happens in the future, we will always be friends. So then when I grow up, even If I don't know what to do, you guys will be there still..."

"I love you, Tori."

He placed both hands over his ears in hopes that it would drown the sounds out. His fail attempt only made the voices grow louder and louder.

"Was my father murdered or did he really die in a car accident?"

"You're too caught up in your pain to realize that your hurting everyone around you. Snap out of it before you kill yourself!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Please. Make it stop." Dustin whispered to himself. He began to scream at the top of his lungs, his voice carried throughout the endless darkness. With a quick flash, he shot up from his bed, breathing heavily. His hands, rubbing across his face, shook a bit as he moved it to the side of the bed. He had noticed he was in a Hospital Room, the sun was shining in between the folds of the blind as his eyes shifted around. The sound of a phone could be heard in the hallway and people passed left and right in front of the door way. Laying back, resting his head on the pillow, he starred up at the ceiling and took his time to collect his thoughts. Tori, the beautiful surfer blonde, entered the room and instantly noticed him blinking. She rushed over to him and stopped at the edge, placing her warm hands on the cold rails of the bed.

She whispered gently, "Dustin. Your awake."

He turned his head to look over at her. His eyes, glancing up and down the beautiful figure, began to grow confused. "Who's Dustin?" He responded lightly.

Tori scoffed a bit. She held tighter on the rail, "Dustin. What's the matter?"

"Who are you?" His voice quivered, a bit nervous as he spoke to the stranger . Tori froze, as she just closed her eyes. Her mind wondered back to that horrible stormy night where she found him. How the two were nearly hit by the truck. The way Dustin tried to sacrifice himself to save her. If Hunter came around a few seconds later, who knew what would have happened. She opened her eyes once more and cleared a tear that had trailed down her cheek and reached for his hand. Holding it tightly, she tried to force a smile.

"Everything will be alright." She responded. "I promise."

Dustin couldn't remember a single thing. His mind was a total blank. He looked away without replying to Tori's sympathy and starred straight at a plain white wall.


Two hours after the hospital visit, Tori had entered Storm Chargers to find most of the gang hanging on the couch. Stopping at the entrance, she paused for a second and looked over at her friends, then made her way over with a large sigh. Hunters, the crimson blonde that was wearing his dark red sleeveless shirt, moved aside for Tori to take a seat. Blake and Shane stopped their small conversation and turned their attention towards her.

"What's the matter?" Shane rose a brow.

"Dustin came out from his coma." She sulked a bit. The guys grew confused at the sudden good news and were unsure in how to respond.

"Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this then what it looks like?" Blake kept his eyes locked on her as he leaned back.

"He doesn't remember me." Tori forced the words out. "He doesn't remember anything. The doctor said he must be suffering from Amnesia. When he hit his head against the wall."

"How long will it last?" Hunter's voice was full of concern.

She turned to him, "Anywhere between a week or a month. He may not even get it back." Her voice began to trail off.

Everyone remain silent. Each one lost in thoughts. Shane bit his lips and sighed deeply, "Hey, this is his chance to start over then. If he can't remember his past, then perhaps it's for the best?"

"He makes a good point." Blake backed him up, "I mean maybe this is good."

"I don't know." Tori felt a bit skeptic, "I still love him. How can I love a man who doesn't even know a thing about me?"

"Make him fall in love again?" Hunter added, "I don't know either. When does he get out of the hospital."

"I'm taking him home in a few hours. He has no where to stay." She cleared the bangs out of her eyes. Shane shook his head and looked at Blake.

"He shouldn't." He stated, "I mean not right away. How are you going to explain Van? Maybe he should crash at the Badly's."

"Yeah." Blake nodded, "That would a be a good idea. The last thing we need to do is scare him to leaving. This is a very fragile situation."

"How long are we going to hide all these secrets from him?" She stammered, "I feel like he lost his life and now we are keeping it away from him."

"Do you want him to remember everything? His heroine history? How his father died?" Hunter explained, "I don't think he could handle it. It's bad enough he might be confused."

Tori closed her eyes. She paused and slowly nodded before standing up. "Come on. Let's go see him." She forced a smile, changing the topic for now.


Dustin put on his yellow plaid shirt and began to button it up as he looked out the window. He had fully dressed and was ready for whoever to pick him up. The doctor had explained everything that had happened but he still didn't understand. He looked at all the cars that past on the road, everything seemed so foreign to him. Dustin, hearing the knock on the door, turned to see Tori and the gang slowly walking in. 4 strangers all looking back at him. He remain still as Tori spoke softly.

"Hey Dustin." She smiled, "I brought some friends." She looked at each of them, "Do you remember them?" The yellow brunette blinked and remain silent. Tori had an awkward feeling over her as she resumed talking, "This is Shane." She pointed, "And Hunter and Blake. Their brothers."

The guys just waved as they stuck their hands in their pocket afterwards. They were without words just as much as he was. The group, for the first time, felt extremely lost with words with each other. "Where we going?" Dustin finally spoke up. "Am I going home? Will I meet my parents?"

Shane and Tori exchanged glances. "Your going to stay with Hunter and Blake." Shane explained, crossing his arms, "Your mother is Europe right now. She wont be able to come to get you."

"What about my father?"

"Hey." Hunter just smiled, "Don't worry man, we'll look after you." Dustin blinked a few seconds and slowly nodded. Tori felt a bit relieved that he stopped asking question, she wasn't sure how long she could keep lying and hiding him away from the truth. Tori reached out and grabbed his hand, like an innocent and lost child, Dustin followed blindly. The 5 of them walked through the halls of the Hospital and outside. Shane began to split away, pulling out a cell phone. Dustin watched as he dialed a few numbers.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Shane turned to him, "I'm calling Cam. He went back to work so I'm updating the status of you for him." He patted him on the back and turned away to keep his attention on the phone. Tori tugged him to continue following. All through her mind, she couldn't help but notice that he was a bit different. More calm. Less carefree. More worried. More lost. She just smiled and they made their way to the baby blue van that has been with them for so long.


The gang had arrived at the Bradley's, the sun was setting and everyone was gathered around the couch. Dustin sat there as he listened to everyone having a casual conversation. Blake turned his attention over to the brunette and handed him a collection of motocross magazines.

"You've been out for the last two months or so. I've been collecting all your weekly magazines for you. Thought maybe you want them." He smirked a bit. Dustin took hold of all the magazines, pulling out one of them and flipping through it.

"I like motocross?" He spoke calmly, a bit intrigued by his new found interest, "Was I any good?"

"You loved to Free Style." Hunter commented, "So yeah. You were good."

"Do you guys free style?"

Blake shook his head, "I race. Hunter sort of retired from Motocross."

Tori stood up from the couch and everyone looked at her. "I have to make a phone call." She said vaguely, "I need to uh check on Van."

"Who's Van?" Dustin shot them a look, "Do I know him?"

"No." Shane quickly spoke, "I mean well. None of us really know him. Just Tori." He prayed that Dustin bought the excuse. The ex ranger bought it, just smiling and turning his attention back to the Bradley's.

"What else do I like" He asked, very interested, "Do I have any other hobbies?"

Tori watched from a distant as she called the babysitter. She couldn't help but smile a little as Dustin began to get a bit more friendly and really interested on everything. He was relearning everything he had lost and enjoying every bit of it. She spoke a bit to the babysitter on the phone and then hung up, making her way over to the kitchen. Dustin stood up from the couch and idly made his way over to her. She pulled out a carton of juice and two glass.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Sure." He responded, taking a seat at one of the stools, "Do you think I'm going to remember everything?"

She simply smiled as she began pouring the juice, "I think you will Dustin."

"My life sounds so awesome from what everyone is telling me." He laughed, "It's just so weird relearning all of this."

Tori's eyes started to water a bit. She tried to wipe them but a tear had manage to escape and fall down her cheek. Dustin gave a look of concern and confusion. She just smiled at him. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm just so happy to see you again."

"I'm sorry if I made you cry."

She just shook her head and placed the carton away back in the fridge. Wiping the last of her tears, she handed him his drink, "You don't have to apologize. You did nothing wrong."

Hunter, Blake and Shane looked from the distant as Tori had a casual conversation with him. He slowly shifted his eyes back to his brother and friend and whispered. "Think he should know about the Ninja Academy and such?"

"Maybe we should wait on that." Blake responded, "Slow and steady, remember. This week we should take him to go motocross."

"Don't you have a race this week though?" Shane reminded him. Blake ran his hands through his hair and nodded as if he had forgotten.

"I'll cancel." He stated, "This is a bit more important. I want to be here."

"What are you guys talking about?" Dustin's voice echoed from near the kitchen. Hunter shot his head back towards him and stood up.

"Nothing bro." He lied and looked at everyone else, "I was just telling them that I have to get going. I'll see you around, alright?"

Dustin waved, "Bye." He took another sip of his drink and watched Hunter exit. The crimson blonde closed the door behind him and leaned against it, sighing with relief. He rubbed his forehead and continued to walk.


End Chapter.